During his term as president of the United States, Lyndon Johnson was overweight. His wife challenged him: ‘You can’t run the country if you can’t run yourself.’ The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle said, ‘I count him braver who overcomes his own desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.’ The Greek word, which we translate as ‘self-control’ literally means power over self or self-mastery. But self-control as a fruit of the Spirit is more than that. Paul writes “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For...

Has anyone given the advice ‘If you want to get somewhere in business be meek’? My dictionary defines meekness as ‘1. Having a patient, gentle disposition. 2. Lacking spirit or backbone; submissive.’ No wonder being gentle is not a popular concept. Our culture says one should be self-assertive, get what you deserve. What the Bible means by being gentle is usually misunderstood. At a rodeo a popular event is the cowboy trying to stay on a wild horse for ten seconds. A bucking bronco seems very powerful, doesn’t it? Compare that horse with the mounts used in the Olympics for the...

Finding a suitable card for a special occasion can often be frustrating. Many are either crude or overly sentimental. I once saw a Hallmark card that said, ‘I can’t promise you forever, but I can promise you today.’ Really?! Remaining married for 40 years requires faithfulness. The story is told of a man who had prayed 50 years for his friend, when he was finally converted. That is faithfulness, which is the seventh fruit of the Spirit. The Greek word for faithfulness means ‘to be assured, a firm persuasion, reliability or dependability.’ The Hebrew word for faith means ‘to believe, to...

While I was training for the ministry, I did a week’s practical under one of the original Dutch ministers of our denomination. He tended to mangle his English, producing some foot-in-mouth moments. He once compared all the voluntary work done in the church to those who were in paid ministry. He said, ‘I am paid to be good, and the congregation is good for nothing!’ ‘Goodness’ is the sixth fruit of the Spirit. The Hebrew word for good, ‘tov’, means that which ‘gratifies the senses, is delightful, delicious, sweet’. By extension it includes ‘that which is morally satisfying and right.’ The...

Once I was overwhelmed with ministry responsibilities while my wife was in hospital and our youngest was very sick. I didn’t have time to eat and was beginning to feel ‘h-angry’ as my sugar levels dropped. It was then a church member dropped by and said, ‘I heard things were going a bit tough for you. I didn’t know how to support you, so here, I bought you this hamburger.’ You can imagine how touched I was by that act of unexpected kindness. I remember calling him ‘angel from heaven!’ It’s been said, ‘Kindness is the language which the deaf can...

In the early 80’s I was in my first congregation where we were involved with EE III, Evangelism Explosion. We learned a method of presenting the gospel which revolved around two questions. We would go door knocking in the community and ask the person at the door: 1. ‘If you were to die tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven?’ 2. ‘If you were standing at heaven’s gate, and Peter asks why should I let you in, what would you answer?’ We had some interesting discussions, even at times being invited into the person’s home. (One intriguing response was...

At the end of the King’s Birthday long weekend, we drove our grandson back to his boarding school in Sydney.  Of course, it was very congested on the M1 Pacific Motorway.  Many people become quite impatient and angry in that situation.  I read the story of a man whose car stalled in heavy traffic just as the light turned green.  All his efforts to start the engine failed.  A chorus of honking and yelling behind him only made things worse.  He finally got out of his car and walked back to the first driver.  He said, ‘I’m sorry but I can't...

Most of us know the hymn, ‘When peace like a river’.  A lawyer from Chicago wrote it in the 19th century.  He had sent his wife and four daughters on a holiday to Europe by ship, and he would catch up later.  Their vessel was struck by an English ship halfway across the Atlantic.  His four daughters drowned while his wife was saved.  Overwhelmed with grief he wrote the words of the hymn, ‘When peace like a river, flows all through my life, when sorrows like sea billows roll: whatever my lot, you have taught me to say: it is well,...

  The story is told of a retiring Supreme Court judge in the United States.  He explained his choice of career by saying, ‘I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like dour undertakers.’  ‘Sad thing is, ordinary Christians can be also regarded as being dour and judgmental.  When it comes to being ‘attractive’ people in the community that is not helpful.  Our behaviour can be a stumbling block for the gospel.  A joyful people, even in the worst of circumstances, can have others observing them saying, ‘We want what they...

When I did my research for my master’s degree (psychology) thesis I focused on ‘expectations’ in marriage.  Over the years in ministry, I have had lots of opportunity to provide premarital and marital counselling as well as lectures on the subject at the RTC.  The key to marriage, of course, is that the couple love each other.  But what do we expect from that love?  How do we define ‘love’?  This is important.  As one person wrote ‘The very essence of life is the need to feel loved and give love; without love life is without rationale whatsoever’.  Mother Teresa once...

KEEPING IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT There’s a saying that says we are not only to ‘talk the talk, but also walk the walk.’  There is to be integrity between what we say we believe, and how we behave from that belief.  That is especially true in our calling as Christians.  We are to make Jesus known by our witness.  But how we act is vitally important if our testimony is to be heard and valued.  So, what does a Christ-like life look like?  The Apostle Paul spells that out in Galatians 5 as he lists the fruit of the Spirit. ...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 41 – Nov 1985   God Fulfils His Promise   Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Luke 1:67-79 Reading: Isaiah 42 Singing – Psalter Hymnal: 140; 446; 404; 333; 490   Can you remember back to when you were little children, how excited you became when the day, that Dad had promised to take the whole family out on a trip, was almost there?  Did you wriggle all over with anticipation? My two little girls, are like that now.  The night, before a promised picnic, they run around, talk in bed and won't go...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 34 No. 36 – September 1989   The Fall Of Jericho   Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Joshua 5:13 – 6:27 Reading: Revelation 22:12-21; Joshua 5:13 – 6:27 Singing: BoW Hymn 10:1,3; BoW Psalm 47; BOW Hymn 504;                         Psalter Hymnal 467; Psalter Hymnal 490.   I want you to imagine Joshua standing on a hill, looking across at the city of Jericho.  Joshua has a problem.  He has been instructed by God to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land.  They are to go into Canaan and conquer it. But, to get...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No. 33 – September 2000   The Church - Secure and Saved   Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Revelation 7 Scripture Reading: Revelation 7 Suggested Hymns: Rejoysing 483; BoW 519; 23; 510   Beloved in the Lord. The book of Revelation is not an easy book to follow.  This is especially true for us nearly 2000 years later, after it was written.  The symbolism and apocalyptic visions are very foreign to us.  But despite the difficulties, one thing that stands out very clearly is the intensely pastoral nature of this letter to the churches. ...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No. 01 – January 2001   The Seventh Trumpet   Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Revelation 11:15-19 Scripture Readings: Psalm 2; Revelation 11:8-14 Suggested Singing: BoW 517, 530, RejoySing 483   Beloved in the Lord. I asked Session recently whether I should continue this series in Revelation.  Too long a series can get boring.  But they urged me to continue.  As one elder said, "You can't leave the congregation in suspense".  I guess that's true.  We have been waiting for what comes up in our text – the seventh trumpet.  Finally we have reached...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No. 05 – February 2001   The Woman and the Dragon   Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Revelation 12 Scripture Reading: Revelation 12 Suggested Singing: BoW 99, 95, 374, 530   Beloved in the Lord. We all know that to truly understand a person, we need to look not only at their outward actions, but try and understand their inner motives.  ‘Same with an organisation or government.  To fully grasp what's going on, we need to see more than the public appearances – we need to know what's going on behind the scene.  It...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 17 – June 1992   The Gift Of The Exalted Lord   Sermon by Rev. Leo Douma on Acts 2:33-36 Reading: John 7:37-39; Acts 1:1-11 Singing: 217, 331, 335, 351, 330.   Beloved congregation, Do you remember the last time you were thirsty?  You were so dry you just had to have a drink.  Sometimes my youngest comes marching in after being out in the sun and says, 'drink Mum'.  He takes the full cup of cordial, and drinks the whole lot down in one go, taking great big gulps. When you are really...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 37 No. 24 – June 1992   Being Filled With The Spirit   Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Ephesians 5:18-21 Reading: Acts 2:1-17 Singing: 345, 155, 345, 348, 344.   Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate the fact that the Holy Spirit was poured out.  No longer was the gift of the Spirit given in a trickle to a few chosen people.  But as the prophet Joel announced: In the last days, God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all people.'  And on Pentecost, ten...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 26 – July 1990   Dealing With Grace   Sermon by Rev. L. Douma on Philemon 17-21 Reading: Matthew 18:21-35; Philemon 1-25   Brothers and sisters; (boys and girls) in our Lord Jesus Christ, There was a problem in the congregation.  A young man had 'shot through'.  Absconded!  People in the congregation had bent over backwards to help him.  They had provided him with a place to live.  Someone had taken him on and given him some work to help him out. And now... now the ungrateful young man had got up and left...

Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 38 – October 1990   The Reason Why   Sermon by Rev L Douma on Genesis 3   Most of us have heard, or maybe even asked the question: 'If God is almighty, and He is loving, why is there so much wrong in the world?  Why so much suffering?'  It is a question that comes up in our minds as we struggle with an agonizing 'why?' as we hear or read of yet another tragic accident, a national disaster, another murder, protest, war.  Sometimes we groan 'what is the matter with our world?'...